The Goose Girl
by sexycool-hana
Summary: The story's not similar to The Swan Princess and Swan Lake. Hermione's a princess and Harry's the Prince. Cho's the antagonist! About a beautiful princess who had amnesia...
1. Chappie 1: The Storyteller and Her Story

DISCLAIMER: I wish I own 'em all! But I don't…: (

CHAPPIE 1: The Storyteller and her Story

Princess Ginny's hands were as cold as a cadaver's. It was her first day as a substitute storyteller.

'_I should be sacking out right now'_ Ginny thought. _'It's all Celina's fault. If she hadn't only been diagnosed with that silly chicken's fox…!'_

Celina, Ginny's sister, had what the royal doctors called 'chicken pox'. She was advised to stay in bed and be isolated for it was announced as contagious. She however remembered her storytelling sessions with the commoner children every weekend, and forced Ginny to act as a proxy while she was sick.

_"Please, Ginny, my dearest, someone just has to do it! You know perfectly well how I am with the children…" _

_"Yes, I know you love them but you also know perfectly well how I am with them!" Ginny remembered arguing with Celina._

_"Please, Ginny… For me?" said Celina with her trademark puppy dog eyes._

_Now Ginny can't refuse those eyes, but she tried anyways. "No!"_

_A minute later, she was on the royal carriage, on her way to the town hall, armed with story books that she knew the children might like._

"We are here, Your Highness" said Parvati, Celina's lady- in- waiting, who had volunteered to accompany her. Ginny spun her head and Parvati met her wide- open eyes.

"Are you scared, My Lady?" asked Parvati caringly.

"Scared! Moi! I'm perfectly fine." Said Ginny reassuringly. _'Somebody ought to catch me if I collapse.'_

Children had started to gather on the grassy lawn in front of the building. Ginny saw how many they are and almost fell down the steps as she descended form the carriage.

"Th-there are about fifty of them!" exclaimed Ginny.

"Yes, My Lady." Came Parvati's reply, who was helping her on her way down. Ginny's feet finally touched the dewy grass, but her face was as white as vinegar.

"B- but I only estimated them to be about fifteen to twenty! If I knew they were this many, I would've backed out!"

"You're not gonna back out now, are you, Your Highness?"

"And have Celina laugh at me? I'd rather explore hell!" Ginny's expression turned into one of courage and determination as she trotted haughtily towards the grassy lawn, Parvati following behind with an armful of books.

The children saw Ginny, and they all goggled at the unfamiliar face. Ginny ignored her nervousness and still approached with her chin high up in the air.

"I would approach with a smile if I were you, Your Highness," advised Parvati, but she paid no attention.

"Where's Princess Celina?" a thumb sucking child wondered audibly.

"Princess Celina is sick. She needs bed rest until she becomes better. She asked me, though, if I could please substitute as your storyteller," Ginny explained. The children hushed down.

"Your Highness, perhaps if you could give them the expression that you are happy to be their storyteller…" started Parvati.

"I am happy to be your storyteller" repeated Ginny, though her face doesn't show.

"And that you are assured that they'll have a good time…"

"You'll all have a good time."

"And smile sweetly…"

"And smile sweetly," Ginny accidentally repeated.

"No, I mean _you _have to smile sweetly, My Lady," said Parvati in a panicky voice.

"Oh, _that_," said Ginny, and was forced to smile. Her face, when smiling, seemed to look friendly. The children saw that she smiled, and had also started to smile. Some had already approached her and took her hand. Ginny wanted to withdraw it; but realized that if she did, they would be back to square one (As if! They were only on square two!).

"Come here. Here's where we use to do our storytelling sessions," said a girl with a ragged doll.

"Sit here," another child directed, pointing to a seat under a sturdy oak tree. As Ginny sat, she saw the children sitting down as well. They were crammed up under the shade of the mighty oak. One toddler child, however, was not shaded. Ginny noticed him.

"Come, child. The sun's rays hurt, you know," she ordered. The toddler came, and Ginny sat her on the lap. The child looked at her with innocent hazel eyes. Ginny glanced at Parvati, and Ginny saw that she was smiling.

Ginny breathed. "So, what do you want to hear? Do you want to hear about the Little Bunny On Safari?"

"We've already heard that one," the children chorused.

"What about the Adventures of Sheldon the Soldier?"

"Boring!" came the reply.

"O- okay," Ginny again started to get nervous. "Do you know about How The Brazilian Beetles Got Their Colors?"

"No!"

One boy got to his feet. "I'm off. It's best cleaning the merchant's shoes," he said audibly. Some had started to follow his lead. Now, Ginny can't afford that. She was starting to get nervous and her temper was rising fast.

"We want fairy tales. That's what Princess Celina always tells us," said the child on her lap. Hearing this, Ginny remembered her favorite fairy tale.

A fairy tale that has etched in her heart since she was nine.

"How about a fairy tale, kids? I know one that happened in real life," she said.

Those who have heard her and those who were leaving silenced. "Really?" said the merchant's shoe cleaner disbelievingly.

"Princess Celina never told us a true- to- life story," said a brown- haired child with brown eyes. Ginny looked at her and she remembered someone special to her.

"Hush, Helena," someone told the child.

The children who had got up earlier returned and sat down again, their eyes keen with interest. "What are you gone tell us?" a boy asked.

"The story of The Goose Girl," said Ginny, who was starting to calm down again.

"What's it about? A girl who turns into a goose every full moon?" asked a boy in a baseball cap. Everyone in the clearing laughed. Everyone except Ginny, who said, audibly as she could, "No. It's about a princess who didn't know that she is one."

The laughter died instantly, and the children showed signs of excitement and interest. Parvati piped in. "Y-you mean to tell them the story of…"

"Hush, Parvati. We don't wanna spoil the surprise, do we?" cut Ginny.

"Oh _please_ tell us!" said the children however.

"Alright. Just behave and I will," said Ginny. When she saw that they had all hushed down, she began. "Once upon a time…"

The story:

_'This has been my home since I was born. If I refuse to leave, Thyatira may get mad at us. I can't afford to be the reason of a war,'_ Hermione thought as she looked out below. From her balcony, she could see her Mother and Father (the queen and king, respectively) giving out instructions to the servants as to what must be brought with her for her trip to Thyatira. Now that she had turned twenty, Hermione had to go to set her wedding to her betrothed prince, Prince Harry of Thyatira.

Three knocks on her door. "Your Highness, King Albus wants to see you," a servant said.

"I'll be there now," Hermione called out. She started towards the door when she remembered something. She went to her closet and opened her secret compartment and pulled out a necklace that had precious stones on it. A peasant who acquires this will not have to go hungry in his/ her lifetime. It was the gift of the royal family of Thyatira to her on her twentieth birthday. Hermione kept stuffed it inside her gown's pocket and headed towards the door. She gave her room one last look and headed towards the courtyard to meet her father.

"Were you crying, my dear?" asked her father, King Albus of Ivanna. He raised her head and saw that her eyes were puffy.

"No, father. I- I was just… Oh, father!" said Hermione and embraced her father while crying her heart out.

"I'm sorry, but I know that you know the rules, my precious. You have to be betrothed. You know that, right?" King Albus explained while smoothing her hair. Hermione just nodded. "I understand. It's just that, I'm gonna miss you all." She looked at her father's eyes.

"Just always remember that whatever happens, we're right here beside you. Give us a call."

"Yes, father," answered Hermione, drying her eyes with her handkerchief.

Queen Minerva approached them both and took her turn on embracing her daughter. "I don't wanna see you go, but I guess I'll just settle to the memories that you have left me. My dearest daughter…" said Minerva, not able to fight back her tears.

"I'll be alright," said Hermione reassuringly.

Next, two pairs of hands grabbed her into a tight embrace. "Eep, get off me, you maggots!" she said laughingly as she looked up to her two younger twin brothers of nineteen, Princes Fred and George of Ivanna.

"Gee, sis, we're gonna miss you," George said as he did his puppy dog eyes technique.

"Stop that, George, stop that or it may stay permanently on you," teased Hermione. "I'm gonna miss you both, too."

"I- if you're gone, to whom are we gonna test our Super- explicable Firecrackers?" asked Fred in a mock crying tone.

"Y- Yeah. There's no one to pester… Our life is turning into hell!" said George, and acted as if they were crying. They again pulled Hermione into a group hug. Hermione laughed.

"Now, boys, now that I'm gone there's no one to tell you to behave or to pay attention to your mentors and teachers. Now, you listen to me because it may take long before I'll get to say this again: Don't give mother and father a hard time, okay? Act your age."

"We'll be good, sister," said Fred reassuringly.

"Yeah, we're just gonna have to wait for you to leave before we go wild again," said George.

"You silly boys," said Hermione, ruffling their hair. She then turned to her father. "Who am I taking to the trip, father?"

"I've hired a new lady- in- waiting. Her name's Cho. Her mother, who passed away twenty years ago, is Chinese. She doesn't have a father. I figure she'll be good company."

"I hope so," said Hermione.

Minutes later, she was all set to leave. The villagers gathered on the palace courtyard to see their beloved Princess before she leaves.

"Fred, George, please be good," reminded Hermione as she embraced her brothers one last time. Turning to her parents, Minerva embraced her. "We're always here for you, dearest. Don't hesitate to owl us if there's a problem."

"Yes mother," said Hermione, as she was pulled from her mother by her father and was embraced tightly. "We love you, precious."

"I love you too," and with that, she cried her heart out again. "But for you, I will try to be much braver."

Turning to the people of the kingdom, to whom she had been kind and considerate with, said "I will come back for all of you."

The villagers rejoiced with what they heard. The princess was coming back after all!

With one last wave, Princess Hermione of the Kingdom of Ivanna rode her carriage and disappeared from sight. The crown dispersed, leaving Minerva and Albus staring into the space where Hermione's carriage had disappeared into.

"Shall we go back to the castle now, Albus?" asked Minerva.

"Yes. She's coming back after all," said Albus, with a twinkle in his eye.

_(Whaddaya think? Post me some reviews and flames are quite welcome as long as they don't pull down my dignity and confidence… be kind please? Ty! And tc 2 u all! Gbu! Mwah! No reviews, no updates!)_

_(Chapter 2: What evil will Cho bring to Hermione's life? How can she be a hindrance to Hermione and Harry's romance?)_


	2. Chappie 2: The Prince of Thyatira

DISCLAIMER: Do we really have to have disclaimers in every chappie? I mean, what are they for? puppy dawg eyes; tries to look innocent

CHAPPIE 2: The prince of Thyatira

Tears quietly poured out from Hermione's eyes as she looked out the window. _'God, why am I even moping? It's not as if I'm not going to see Ivanna again!' _She mentally scolded herself for being so weak and dried her eyes with her handkerchief. _'Oh well, might as well try taking my mind off my family for a while'._

Across her sat Cho, Hermione's lady- in- waiting, absent- mindedly staring at the views outside her window. Hermione estimated her to be about twenty to twenty-one years of age, with long virgin-black hair that was neatly tied back in a ponytail; she has rather stunning looks.

In a flash, Cho met Hermione's gaze, and the princess noticed something quite different about her.

Her eyes were cold and grey, reminding her of dark and damp tunnels. Hermione involuntarily shivered as though she could feel the cold. _'Something's not right…'_

"H- hello," started Hermione, smiling politely. "I assume you're Cho? I'm Hermione."

Cho nodded, her face emotionless, and looked back out the window. Silence.

"Are you bored? I have some books with me. Do you like to borrow?" Hermione tried again.

"No," said Cho, not even bothering to look at her. Hermione looked worried, though.

"Are you sure you're alright, Cho? I…"

Cho turned to face Hermione. "Just because you're used to being talked to nicely doesn't mean the whole world will," she cut rather rudely, and looked out the window again.

Hermione stared at her perplexedly. "I gather you want to be left alone? Thank you, anyway," Hermione said. She pulled a book from her side drawer and read. After hours, the rocking of the carriage lulled her to sleep.

oOo---

"And so I was saying that Lord Caligula Caesar was crowned king of Pagan Rome at the age of 23 in 775 B. C…."

"Harry, bloody hell, wake up!" whispered Prince Draco as he saw his elder brother Harry drop his head to his desk. Harry groaned and mumbled something.

"What was that?" again Draco whispered.

"I said leave me to sleep. I hate this bloody lecture!" Harry stated rather loudly, and realized what he had done and sat bolt upright. The history lecturer, Professor Binns, met Harry's wide-open eyes with a cold glare as Harry tried to show alertness. Draco slapped his forehead.

"There you did it again, Prince Harry. The king will have to be notified about your behavior today," said the professor icily. "I want you and your brother to write 'I will not fall asleep in class ever again' two- hundred times on your parchments and I want them submitted as soon as you're finished." Harry and Draco scuffled to fetch parchments, quills and ink bottles from their desk drawers.

"Nice going, Harry," mumbled Draco grumpily. Harry grinned naughtily.

Half an hour later, the two brothers were at the side of the lake; Harry was idly cooling his feet in the water and Draco candidly sketched him.

"I feel nervous," said Harry. "She's arriving soon, and I'm not even sure if I'm going to like her…"

"Well, you just _have_ to like her. It's a rule, not a choice. Unless you prefer to be exiled?"

Harry snorted. "Exiled? Yeah, right, as if I'd go that far just for a bloody feeling called bloody love!"

"You might regret what you've just said, you know," said Draco, peering at Harry. "Love is quite powerful."

"And I thought wealth is your universe," said Harry.

"Shut up," said Draco, closing his sketchpad. "Anyways, I'm done…"

"And I'm quite famished," Harry cut in. "Let's go grab something to eat."

"Honestly," Draco said as they headed towards the castle, "I was wondering why we don't gain weight. We each eat a truckful without getting our tummies bloated."

"It's just good genes. I mean, look at us," Harry said, putting an arm around his brother's shoulder. "Don't we look handsome or what?"

Draco laughed. "At least I'm not an arrogant git." Harry laughed along. They reached the castle and instantly felt warm the moment they got inside.

"Harry! Draco! Come here, you nincompoops!" said a loud voice. Harry and Draco looked up to find their father, King Arthur of Thyatira, on the second floor railings looking down to them. He looked rather serious.

"You know," Draco whispered to Harry as they tackled the wide staircase, "father looks like an oversized peach when he gets angry, color and all…" Harry sniggered.

"What's so funny, eh?" asked King Arthur as they reached him. Harry and Draco kissed his hands before they answered "Nothing".

"Professor Binns told me about your behavior in class…"

"It was Harry, Dad…"

"SILENCE!" said Arthur, cutting Draco. Turning to Harry, he began the speech. "Again… For the zillionth time. How the hell are you going to impress the princess of Ivanna? I have heard that she's quite smart and fair. The last time they sent her to the Kingdom of Salinas, the dukes and princes had had quite a fight for her. You are lucky King Albus of Ivanna betrothed her to you."

"I find it quite unlucky," said a bored Harry, examining his nails.

"SILENCE!" said Arthur, fuming. Draco involuntarily snorted, and Harry grinned. "Don't you two find this matter serious?

"Of course we do, dad. It's just that…" Harry started.

"I never expected you- Prince Harry James- to understand!" said Arthur. "I just want you- both of you at that- to study hard so you could one day be both good rulers. Do you understand me!"

Harry and Draco stared at their shoes as they mumbled a 'yes'. Arthur's expression softened. He pulled his two sons to an embrace.

"Now remember," said Arthur as he looked at both of them in the eye, "the Princess Hermione could be here any time this week. I want you two to prepare your best dress robes and look your best when she arrives. No mischief, understood?"

"Crystal," Harry and Draco dueted. King Arthur smiled.

"You are my sons, after all," he said.

_(Hello there again! Please read and review because no reviews mean no updates! And sorry coz this chappie's short! I promise you a longer chappie next time! And more action- filled at that! Lolz! God bless you all! off ta hunt for some Easter eggs )_

_(Chappie 3: How will the princess lose her memory? What will Cho do that will start the sufferings in Hermione's life? Juz hit the 'submit review' button below and wait for the next chappie to be uploaded!)_


	3. Chappie 3: Hermione and the Night Wolves

DISCLAIMER: I love Harry Potter, but he ain't worth stealing…

CHAPPIE 3: Princess Hermione and the 'Night Wolves'

_Hermione opened the oak double doors and was greeted with a magnificent sight. The room before her was as large and roomy as a cathedral. She glanced down on her attire and saw that she was wearing a blood red masquerade gown and an elegant white mask. She confidently walked towards a direction only her subconscious mind knew of. Just then, a pair of arms snaked around her waist and she whirled around. She came face-to-face with a gorgeous man wearing a black tuxedo and a white eye mask. Hermione didn't know why, but she felt happy and safe. She lingered her eyes on the man's attractively messy hair and her nose savored his musky scent. But his most attractive asset, his emerald-green eyes, was what had turned Hermione crazy. _

"_May I have this dance, my lady?" the man asked. Before she could respond, he already led her to the dance floor. They started to waltz around when the music stopped and a voice yelled "There! That's my fiancé!" while pointing at Hermione's dance partner. Everybody looked and suddenly shouted "Then why is that woman flirting with him?"_

_A powerful male voice drowned the crowd's shouts of disagreement. The king, wearing a face mask. "I'm sorry, Hermione. But rules are rules. I can do nothing to bend them. I'm afraid you're going to have to be executed." Said the king sadly. _

_Hermione gasped. "No!" she screamed. She turned to the man who she was dancing with for help, but saw that he was already dancing with another woman. He looked at her and said, "I'm sorry, but that's how things really are."_

_And as strong pairs of arms pulled her away, she looked helplessly at the dancing couple and saw the man's partner- his fiancée._

_Cho Chang._

oOo-

Princess Hermione's hazel eyes fluttered open. She felt her head ache a little, yet she instinctively peered outside the window for an idea of what time it could be. The sun was about to set, and a violetish-orange color enveloped the sky. It was dawn.

'_That dream…' _thought Hermione. _'It seemed real…'_

Hermione glanced at Cho and saw that she had also managed to doze off. Feeling quite alone and lonely, she opened a sliding panel behind her and said "Where are we?"

"The desert between Martina and Thyatira, Your Highness," came the coach's voice from the other side. Hermione sighed. Closing the panel, she thought about what she could do during five more hours of travel. She was about to pick up her book when Cho groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

Hermione smiled. "Finally, you're awake. I could use some company here. How's your kip?" she asked the newly- awake.

"Fine," said Cho, not even bothering to look at her but looking out the window.

"Can you believe it?" Hermione raved on, oblivious to the fact that Cho doesn't want a conversation. "Five more hours of travel? And we just woke? I mean, where's the fun in that?"

"Yeah? Why don't you read your stupid book?" said Cho, glaring at her.

Hermione stared mouth-opened, her smile faltering. "I- I was just trying to be nice to you, Cho."

"I don't need your kindness or your sympathy," said Cho rather quickly. "I need no one's help. Especially from the royal bloods."

"Do you have something against us?" asked Hermione, brows raised. "If you've got a problem, you can tell me."

"Why the hell would you care?" Cho retorted heatedly. "All you bloody care about are yourselves!"

Hermione's self-control was evaporating fast. "Maybe if you could just find the time to discuss your problem with me then we could avoid any fights."

"You'll never understand because you're not poor! You're no peasant! You're not me!" Cho's voice raised a fret higher.

"Oh yeah?" said Hermione, also raising her voice. "Well try me!"

"You were never there when we needed help!" yelled Cho. She faced the window, wanting to argue no more. Hermione was about to answer a smart remark when she saw that Cho's eyes were glistening with tears. Her expression softened. _'Why can't this girl soften up to me? What have I done? Why can't she realize that I'm trying to help her?'_

"Please, tell me. What have we done?" said Hermione quietly. Cho sniffed, pretending not to hear her. Hermione made a move to pull her to an embrace when the carriage forcefully lurched forward, as if the horses have been suddenly halted to avoid running over into something on their way. The lights went off as Hermione crashed into Cho, whose head collided with the carriage wall. The screams of the servants from the servants' carriage just adjacent to them echoed through the night. There was a faint sound of maniacal laughter and about a dozen horses' hooves.

"What on Earth…" started Cho, when gunshots cracked through the night air. Both she and Hermione screamed.

"Kill them all!" they heard the leader of the royal guards shout out loud. More screams and shots. Hermione closed her eyes tight, praying for safety while she and Cho cowered and snuggled on the floor.

"Search the carriages!" yelled a surly voice.

The door of their carriage flew open. Hermione felt a pair of arms grab her and forced her down the carriage. Behind her, Cho kicked, bit, and punched her captor, but without much success.

"'Ere's the princess, Big Boss," said Hermione's captor, pushing her to the ground. Hermione tried to get up, but a hand entwined its fingers with her hair, and she found herself face-to-face with who she presumed to be the gang's leader, the 'Big Boss'. "What do you want?" she said with what she thought was a defiant voice.

The Big Boss sneered, revealing a silver tooth on the left side of his upper molars. Hermione winced.

"Hey boys!" the Big Boss called to his companions. "Miss Princess asks us what we want!" Laughter rang on Hermione's ears. Her blood boiled with anger.

"You leave my servants alone!" spat Hermione on his face. The Big Boss' expression hardened. He released her hair and slapped her left cheek hard. Hermione fell to the ground once again, clutching the spot that hurt. A fair distance away, she heard the servants gasp and shriek.

"You will not talk to me like that!" said the Big Boss menacingly. "Your lives are in our hands. One wrong move, Princess… Boom!"

"Take away everything you can carry, just let us live. Don't hurt any of us, especially my people."

"You've heard the princess! Take it easy on the slaves!" said the Big Boss sarcastically. Turning to Hermione, he said, "I'm going to be civil to you, Princess. I'm going to be big about this; your slaves are simply gonna be meat on the slave market." Hermione gasped, which had not escaped his ears. "Well, it's either that or be slaughtered altogether. Pick your choice."

Hermione couldn't fight back the tears anymore. She was defeated. No matter how hard she prayed and no matter how big her faith.

"Aaw, look Boss," teased the other bandit. "She's crying. What's a baby to do?"

The Big Boss sneered yet again. "Do you even know who we are, Princess?" he asked conversationally. Hermione nodded.

"You're the Night Wolves, aren't you? You're bandits who move at night, stealing from innocent travelers just to have something fit for a king to eat at breakfast. You're the scum of Thyatira and you're all a pathetic excuse for a human, seeing as you don't have a human heart!"

Hermione received another slap, this time on her right cheek. More tears came spilling from her eyes. But still, she looked up to her captors again. "Yes, that's it. That's what you do, isn't it? You harm people- defenseless, _helpless _people at that. Just because you've got guns, you can't fight fair. AND ONE MORE SLAP ON MY FACE AND YOU'RE GONNA REGRET IT!" she yelled at Big Boss as he attempted to slap her yet again.

The Big Boss surveyed Hermione with utmost dislike. "Yes, that's us, Princess. But you can't blame us. We didn't choose this job. We had no choice."

"And my choice is what? To act saint and give away everything that we own? It's so bloody damn unfair!" said Hermione, anger shooting through her veins like poison.

"If we've got a choice we won't even be here in the first place!"

"Well, surprise, surprise, Big Boss," Hermione spat sarcastically. "It's not me who's handling you because if you don't happen to know, I'm from Ivanna."

"And you're setting the date of your marriage with the prince of Thyatira," added the Big Boss. "Don't expect us to be stupid, princess, because we're not."

"That's a good way of showing it, seeing as you're all bandits who haven't a half-brain to think about the consequences of what you do."

Hermione half expected him to hurt her again, but he did not. In fact, there was a sneer on his face.

"You know," he said, inching closer to her. "I like that in my women- proud and stubborn." He leaned forward to her and their faces were mere centimeters apart. "What do you say I let you live and be my queen?"

This gave Hermione an idea. "Y-you promise to let me live?" Behind her, some of her servants shrieked and the other bandits ooh-ed. The Big Boss glanced at them and said "Yeah."

Hermione smiled deviously and brushed her lips against his. She didn't like this at all, but they were in trouble and there was no other way she can think of to wriggle out of it. The Big Boss moaned and kissed her back.

Suddenly, with a motion as quick as lightning, Hermione grabbed his gun from his side, shut her eyes tightly, and shot him straight. She knew she had hit him for she had heard him groan and felt him fall to the ground in front of her.

She opened her eyes and, not even wasting a moment to even look at the man she had shot, turned to her servants who screamed out loud, running around like headless chickens. Several other bandits fired shots in hopes of keeping them quiet. She was about to come to their aid when she felt a sharp pain on the right side of her stomach and a forceful impact sweeping her down. She knew she had been shot. Then, her head hit something hard.

This made the servants scream harder and louder. Several others had taken a leaf out of Hermione's book and fought back using fists and guns. The royal guards who survived and had lost hope earlier on also fought back, retrieving their guns that the bandits had neglectfully left on a corner. The others simply rushed to their princess.

Hermione struggled to keep her eyes open. As she was being busied by her other servants she watched as the fight between her employees and the scums raged on. She saw that their side has more advantage over what was left of the bandits. But still, it was the bandits who have more weapons. Everybody seemed to have sensed this problem.

Cho called out, "Let's clear out!" Everyone scuttled to the carriage, sans Hermione.

"Wait!" someone yelled. "We forgot the princess!"

Hermione thought for one glorious moment that she was gonna live. She _will_ live and see the prince of Thyatira and live happily ever after.

But Cho had ruined all those thoughts. As Hermione heard her thunder, "Leave her! She's gonna die anyway," her hopes and dreams drifted away.

Most especially painful was when she heard the carriage drive away without her. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. She swore she might've heard her death bells ring.

A little moment after, she heard the bandits call out "After them!" and then the hooves of the bandits' horses. She knew that she might pass out any time now, but still she thought profusely that she could never forgive herself if anything happens to her people.

And then everything went black.

oOo-

_Harry cooled his feet on the lake. Feeling relaxed, he closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh morning air when a soothing voice spoke from behind him. _

"_You'd think it's gonna be a warm, sunny day today. But I got wind that it's gonna rain sooner or later."_

_Harry whipped around and saw a girl wearing a servant's uniform. She had brown, wavy hair that fell gorgeously to her waist. Her chocolate-brown eyes looked brightly at him. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he had known her all his life, well in fact he doesn't. He felt his heart beat faster. He felt _in love_…_

_A raindrop on his nose made Harry tear his gaze from the girl as he looked up the sky. More drops pelleted towards them and before they knew it, it was already raining. He glanced at the girl and saw that she wasn't bothered. In fact, she was grinning._

"_It's nice, isn't it?" she said, looking up. "The rain, I mean."_

"_Yeah, it's marvelous," Harry answered breathlessly, staring enchantedly at her beauty. And from the way his cheeks flamed, he knew he didn't mean the rain. _

_The girl looked at him for a moment, then walked towards him and held both his hands. "Come on," she said playfully, "Have you ever tried playing in the rain?"_

"_Er, no," he said, a goofy grin on his face. "Is that what you want to do?"_

"_Yeah," she answered as she beamed, revealing a perfect set of teeth. "Catch me if you can!" She ran away from him and Harry chased her. _

_For a few minutes of complete bliss, they ran, chased, giggled and screamed in the rain. When Harry finally caught her, they stumbled and fell on the grass, laughing. _

"_Aren't you worried that you might catch a cold?" Harry asked her seriously afterwards._

"_No. I'm used to the rain," she said, moving her gaze from his eyes to his lips. Harry instantly knew what she wanted, and kissed her. It was a deep and passionate kiss that when it ended, both he and the girl gasped for breath. _

"_I need you," she said, again staring intently at his eyes…_

KABLAM!

"What the hell!" Harry gasped as he sat bolt upright, looking wildly around for the source of the noise. He saw that his father had barged open his door violently for some reason and was walking towards him. _'Great'_ he thought angrily, realizing that the gorgeous girl was only a dream, _'just when it gets better.'_

"Harry," said King Arthur with an urgent tone as he stopped at the foot of his bed, a deathly glare playing on his eyes.

"What have I done now?" Harry asked angrily but groggily.

"You are to wake up right this very minute and check on the desert with us, young man," said Arthur rather quickly. "You're coming with us and you haven't a choice."

Harry yawned widely, scratched his head and rubbed his eyes. "Can't it wait until morning?" he asked stubbornly.

"The Night Wolves struck again," said Arthur coldly, making Harry snap his eyes wide open and jump out of bed. He watched as his son struggled to put on his slippers and run to his walk-in closet. "They had one heck of an encounter, though. So many dead bodies lying around, according to the chief. Too many that they couldn't haul them all in one ride, so they decided to inform us first. Much more death from the civilians, but they managed to kill a fair number of the scums…"

"I'm ready," Harry interrupted as he emerged from his closet fully-dressed. Arthur nodded and together they headed to the stables.

oOo-

The chief, together with his men, were sorting the cadavers when King Arthur, Princes Harry and Draco, and ten other knights arrived early in the morning. Arthur immediately conversed with the chief and Harry and Draco looked around. Harry couldn't help but feel sick when he spotted an old woman among the sea of dead bodies.

"Hey!" Draco exclaimed aloud, drawing attention to himself. He was staring at a body that lay on its stomach. He turned it over with his foot and gasped. "Isn't this the Big Boss?"

Everyone gathered around the Big Boss. "Bloody hell," said the chief faintly. "We have sent many skilled men to terminate this scum, yet- impossible as it is, he was killed on an encounter?"

Harry bent down and checked for a pulse. "Dead," he declared, and knights had carried the body off. He adjusted his collar and wiped sweat off his forehead with his long sleeve. It was starting to get extremely hot. He whipped around, meaning to get a cool drink from his backpack, when his eyes caught something.

Harry couldn't understand why his heart started to pound in his chest as he approached it. It was a body- a female body. He failed to stifle a gasp as realization dawned upon him.

The girl from his dream!

"What is it, Harry?" called Draco but Harry ignored him. His heart pounded harder, his sweat stung his eyes, and his hands went cold as he grabbed her hand and hoped against hope that she was still alive…

"It's a pulse!" Harry screamed triumphantly, causing everyone to literally run to him, though he didn't care. _'She's alive. That girl I fell in love with in my dream. She's here... She's alive!'_

"That's a nasty shot," said Draco, eyeing her bloody stomach. "D'you think she'll make it?"

"Yes, she will!" Harry felt so sure about it. Before anyone could say or do anything, he lifted the girl into his arms.

"Careful with her, Harry. She's got a shot and her head's smacked with this rock," Draco said, pointing at a rock under her head. Harry nodded.

"Take the carriage and bring her straight to the hospital wing," ordered his father, though Harry needn't be told what to do. His insides squirmed with panic as he settled himself inside the carriage, the girl secured on his arms. _'Everything will be okay, my princess, my angel,' _Harry whispered in her ear as the carriage sped off.

_(Er, sorry for making Hermione act like a martyr there or something. It's just that I'm trying to show everyone that it's Hermione's compassion and courage that'll make Harry fall in love with her (er, just two of the things that'll make him fall for her, actually) and pull her through any obstacles thrown her way. And besides, it's what made us love her in the first place, right? I mean, look closely at the books!)_

_(Hello again, everyone! Thank you for those wonderful reviews! Please keep them coming… I appreciate all the confidence you give me… I love you all! And please also check out my other stories, please? Thanks in advance!)_

_(Next chapter: Teaser: Hermione racked her brain desperately for an answer, but found nothing. She felt her head swirl- probably because of panic or of the pain on her stomach and nape. She looked at his loving eyes once again and she felt tears starting to cloud her eyes. 'I don't know' she answered. 'I don't know…')_


End file.
